Official harassed for pension revision

Ex- colleagues made him run around

Satish Chandra, a former labour surveyor in Delhi government, had never imagined that his own department colleagues would make him run around for post-retirement benefits.

But he realised this after going from one officer to the other to get a pension revision. Now, a harassed Chandra, who retired over two years ago from South West district, has complained against his own former colleagues in the public grievance management service (PGMS).

When Chandra’s complaint was forwarded by the PGMS cell – closely monitored by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal himself – senior Labour Department officials found themselves in a tight spot.

Solving his problem within the time limit set under PGMS seemed difficult. The accounts office is “unable to process his case due to unavailability of his original pension file which must be lying unattended in South West district,” said an official.

The problem is more acute with retired officials who left the department between May 2009 and March 2014 – during which the Labour Department switched to a system of decentralised accounts.

Chandra’s ordeal may now bring relief to many others like him as the Labour Commissioner’s office has alerted all districts to send pension files, along with service books, of those who retired during 2009-14.

Several reminders sent earlier have gone unheard, forcing the accounts departments to issue a last warning.

“If there is no pension file available with the district office, a nil report should be submitted,” said Y P Soni, accounts officer.

The laxity of district offices in responding to reminders has also been brought to the notice of Labour Minister Gopal Rai. Since Rai is in hospital, the Chief Minister’s Office is trying to help Chandra get his dues.

Labour Department sources said following Chandra’s complaint there is virtual panic in the South West district as his service books have still not been traced.

Chandra’s complaint has come in public domain at a time when Kejriwal has warned department heads to check subordinates from dismissing PGMS complaints as “non-resolvable”.

The government is also pressing officials to switch to a mechanism in which each complaint received under the PGMS is marked under subcategories for future review.